Xodus strengthens decom division after securing more than £2million of work

International energy consultancy Xodus Group has strengthened its decommissioning team with the appointment of Gareth Jones as Decom Lead.

The appointment follows a successful year for Xodus’ decommissioning division which has secured several new clients and won £2million of work in 2018.

An experienced principal consultant and project manager, Mr Jones will be responsible for advising and supporting operators in relation to environmental and societal impacts associated with decommissioning.

Mr Jones joins Xodus from BMT Cordah where he led the company’s international decommissioning activities. Previously, he was a marine ecologist with Marine Scotland, providing advice and support in relation to commercial fisheries and marine fish species for oil and gas, renewables and infrastructure projects.

Mr Jones, who will be based in the company’s Aberdeen office, said: “It is a huge honour to join such an experienced and knowledgeable group of people at Xodus. The company has been at the forefront of solving a variety of decommissioning challenges for many years and I hope my skills will strengthen the team.”

Mr Jones will work closely with Xodus’ Decommissioning Director, Enrico Salardi, who has recently relocated to the UK from the company’s Perth office.

He said: “Throughout his career, Gareth has built up excellent relationships with operators, particularly on environmental and decommissioning projects, and communicates effectively with stakeholders. He has shown that he has all the attributes needed to be an asset for the company and we’re pleased he has joined Xodus.”

Xodus’ decom division has undertaken more than 100 decommissioning projects globally ranging from M&A due diligence and commercial advice, to training and detailed planning and approvals for decom execution.

The division has increased its capabilities, now covering a broader spectrum of services and disciplines, such as well abandonment and decommissioning strategic support. The company can now provide a fully integrated decommissioning service, including the definition of decommissioning strategies for single assets or on portfolio basis, the regulatory compliance support and the identification of the best engineering solutions.

Mr Salardi added: “We want to make sure our clients have a well identified point of contact with clearer project accountability, a more consistent approach in delivering decom services and sharing the same strategic view on how value can be generated in decommissioning. Our ambition is to be a partner that fully understands our clients’ needs and objectives as well as a consultant capable of producing high quality, fully integrated studies and assessments.

“We are also becoming more and more active in other regions where operators and regulators are just beginning to face increasing decommissioning issues. Our team has a wealth of experience in the North Sea and this knowledge brings huge value to other key regions around the world.”

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